Apparatus for use with fabric.

ABSTRACT

A pad for use when ironing, steaming, or quilting fabric material. An apparatus that makes ironing and steaming less cumbersome and improves handling of materials such as clothing during ironing or steaming and adds personalization to these daily chores, protects surfaces from irons when an ironing board is not available, and eliminates the difficult setup of ironing boards, simplifies storing boards, provides a flexible surface for ironing, and makes it easier for those that are disabled or on physical therapy to iron.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND

When working with fabric materials, using an ironing board or steamer is cumbersome. Ironing involves a large, heavy ironing board. Ironing boards are generally shaped with a tapered end, but provide no other form that is helpful to a user. When using an ironing board, the clothing material (a long sleeve shirt for instance) must be moved around to fit the board's shape. Ironing boards are difficult to set up and store. Ironing only allows for working on one side at a time.

Ironing boards do not provide for ease of quilting or the like. When used for quilting, an ironing board has no provision for measuring the material pieces being ironed so a user must go back and forth between a measuring & cutting location and an ironing board.

Steamers are equipped with a hook for hanging the clothes to be steamed. However hanging clothes this way provides little support to the material. Steamers leave clothing material hanging and flailing about while being steamed, supported only by the hanger.

Traveling with an ironing board or steamer is difficult because they are not portable and require two hands or assistance to set up. Additionally, both offer no personality for the user, for instance, everyone in a household uses the same or same type of equipment. Finding a large enough flat surface, as a substitute for an ironing board, to accommodate ironing is a problem for travelers as well. If a user is disabled, there is the additional problem of needing assistance, particularly if the disability renders even one hand useless.

Using an ironing press against an apparatus that fits the article being ironed is critical because it minimizes the need to move the article around while ironing. Having an apparatus that is made of flexible material yet provides support to an article of clothing while it hangs for steaming is crucial to prevent the article of clothing from flailing while being steamed. Having an apparatus that does both of these things while also being easily stowed is crucial for traveling with the apparatus. An apparatus that allows for personalization with patterns or designs that can be, for example, imprinted upon the apparatus is crucial to allow users to make the item their own. It is crucial that quilters, or the like, be able to iron near to the material pieces being worked.

Information relevant to attempts to address these problems can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,464,446 and 6,793,9991. However, each one of these references suffers from one or more of the following disadvantages, to wit, requiring spring loaded attachments, requiring a housing for the work surface, or being generally rectangular.

For the foregoing reasons, there is a need in the industry for an apparatus that makes ironing and steaming less cumbersome and improves handling of materials such as clothing during ironing or steaming and adds personalization to these daily chores. There is also a need to protect surfaces from irons when an ironing board is not available. Also, there is a need in the industry to eliminate the difficult setup of ironing boards, simplify storing boards, provide a flexible surface for ironing, and making it easier for those that are disabled or on physical therapy to iron.

SUMMARY

The present invention is directed toward an apparatus, the utility of which is a less cumbersome and improved handling of fabric materials such as clothing during ironing or steaming and adding personalization to these daily chores. An apparatus that is dimensioned to fit the form of material being ironed or steamed, is lightweight and easy to manipulate, allows for patterns or designs for personalization, makes quilting or the like easier, and provides firmer support to clothing articles during ironing or steaming.

One embodiment of the invention, which the inventor has reduced to a working example, comprises a pad consisting of at least two layers. The pad being made of flexible and lightweight material that is easily stored and can be hung up alongside clothes, in a closet for instance. The pad having at least one face which is capable of withstanding heat. The pad is pliant, can be made of varying length, washable, storable in various locations, such as in luggage. The pad is also hangable, having a hanging means such as an elastic loop for instance, to allow for hand free use and pinnable, meaning that it allows for fastening of items to the at least one face. The at least one face being capable of presenting various markings useful to one skilled in the art of quilting, these markings might include special shapes and lines. The at least one face also being capable of presenting various color schemes useful to one skilled in the art of quilting. The at least one face being capable of presenting various visual tools useful to one skilled in the art of quilting, such tools might be a ruler, a measuring line specific shapes. The pad is capable of withstanding steam, which carries high heat. The pad capable of being water resistant.

Another embodiment of the present invention has a pad like that set forth above comprises being dimensioned so as to be insertable into the space between layers of fabric. For instance, the pad might be generally shaped like a shirt making it easily insertable between the layers of fabric that make up a shirt.

One embodiment of the invention, which the inventor has reduced to a working example, comprises a pad consisting a pad being made of at least two layers of flexible material and is lightweight. The pad having at least one face that is capable of withstanding heat is foldable, washable, storable, hangable and pinnable. The at least one face being capable of presenting various markings useful to one skilled in the art of quilting and/or various color schemes useful to one skilled in the art of quilting and/or various visual tools useful to one skilled in the art of quilting. The pad being capable of withstanding steam, is water resistant and is dimensioned so as to be insertable into the space between layers of fabric. The pad has a seam located along the abutting edges of the layers of flexible material. A user can press in at the seam and cause the pad to turn inside out.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an apparatus embodying features of the invention.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of another version of an apparatus embodying features of an example of the invention in the general shape of an article of clothing.

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of another version of an apparatus embodying features of an example of the invention shown inserted within the layers of a shirt top.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of another version of an apparatus embodying features of an example of the invention shown inserted within the layers of a pant leg being steamed.

DESCRIPTION Overview

As shown in FIG. 1 an apparatus embodying features of the invention comprises at least one face 1 that is capable of presenting markings that are useful to one skilled in the art of quilting 8 on the pad 2. A seam 3 being located along the edge of the pad 2. The pad 3 having a form 4 that suits the workpiece. A hanging loop 19 being attached to the pad 2. allows for hanging the apparatus in a working position, from a steamer rack for instance.

As shown in FIG. 2 another version of an apparatus embodying features of an example of the invention in the general shape of an article of clothing comprises a pad 5 that has a form suitable to the article of clothing 6. The pad having a face 7. The pad 5 having a seam 9 that allows for inverting the pad 5.

As shown in FIG. 3 another version of an apparatus embodying features of an example of the invention shown inserted within the layers of a shirt top comprises a pad 10 having a form 11 to accommodate a shirt 12.

As shown in FIG. 4 another version of an apparatus embodying features of an example of the invention shown inserted within the layers of a pant leg being steamed comprises a pad 13 inserted within the layers of a pair of pants 14. The pad 13 having a form 15 that accommodates the shape of the pants 14. The pad 13 shown on a hanger 16 and being steamed by a user with a steamer 17, a process that is well known in the art. The pad 13 having a seam 18. 

What I claim is:
 1. An apparatus for use with fabric, the apparatus comprising: (a) a pad; (b) the pad being made of at least two layers of flexible material; (c) the pad being made from a lightweight material; (d) the pad having at least one face; (e) the at least one face being capable of withstanding heat; (f) the pad being pliant; (g) the pad being washable; (h) the pad being storable; (i) the pad being hangable; (j) the pad being pinnable; (k) the at least one face being capable of presenting various markings useful to one skilled in the art of quilting; (l) the at least one face being capable of presenting various color schemes useful to one skilled in the art of quilting; (m) the at least one face being capable of presenting various visual tools useful to one skilled in the art of quilting; (n) the pad being capable of withstanding steam; (o) the pad being water resistant.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the pad is dimensioned so as to be insertable into the space between layers of fabric.
 3. An apparatus for use with fabric, the apparatus comprising: (a) a pad; (b) the pad being made of at least two layers of flexible material; (c) the pad being made from a lightweight material; (d) the pad having at least one face; (e) the at least one face being capable of withstanding heat; (f) the pad being pliant; (g) the pad being washable; (h) the pad being storable; (i) the pad being hangable; (j) the pad being pinnable; (k) the at least one face being capable of presenting various markings useful to one skilled in the art of quilting; (l) the at least one face being capable of presenting various color schemes useful to one skilled in the art of quilting; (m) the at least one face being capable of presenting various visual tools useful to one skilled in the art of quilting; (n) the pad being capable of withstanding steam; (o) the pad being water resistant; (p) pad being dimensioned so as to be insertable into the space between layers of fabric; (q) a seam; (r) the seam being located along abutting edges of the layers of flexible material; (s) the pad being invertible along the seam. 